Marine Air supports NATO exercise Clean Hunter

[thedrifter]

Marine Air supports NATO exercise Clean Hunter
Submitted by: Marine Forces Europe
Story Identification #: 2004628112722
Story by Master Sgt. Phil Mehringer



KARUP, Denmark(June 28, 2004) -- The skies of NATO's northern region were recently filled with sounds from Marine Corps aircraft in support of Clean Hunter 2004, an aviation exercise designed to test command and control of NATO's air assets. The exercise involved 200 aircraft, 10 nations and more than 300 U.S. Marines.

Twenty Marine Corps F/A 18 Hornets, 10 each from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 "Crusaders" and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 321 "Hells Angels" were on hand to provide the fast movers for the exercise. The Crusaders of VMFA-122 are based out of Beaufort, S.C., while Hells Angels are from Washington, D.C. Keeping the Hornets in the fight were two KC-130s belonging to the "Rangers" from Marine Aerial Refueling Squadron 234 from Ft. Worth, Texas.

The scenario of the exercise established four coalition zones in which aircraft had to alternate attacks on each other. It was necessary for pilots to adjust their missions quickly, moving from a defensive role to an offensive role. Aircraft alternated timeframes, placing them either on the attack or on the defense.

"The scenario is similar to the Kosovo Air Task Order," said Maj. Carsten Rasmussen, assistant director of operations for Air Base Karup and exercise planner. The backbone of the exercise is "trying out plans, communications, air task orders and checking to see if our skills are correct," added Rasmussen.

Targets during the exercise consisted of radar sites, airfields and other ground targets. Electronic warfare assets and Combat Search and Rescue projects were also incorporated in the scenario buildup.

Airspace for the exercise spanned through 10 countries in northern Europe, ranging from Scotland to the west and the Czech Republic to the east. Other countries involved in the exercise were the U.K., France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Luxemburg and Belgium.

All of the U.S. Marines participating in Clean Hunter were located at Air Base Karup. The area offered a great history lesson for the visiting Marines.

The base was originally named "Einsatzhafen Grove" by German forces that built the base shortly after their occupation of Denmark in the Spring of 1940. A loose translation for the Deutsch description is "forward combat air base." The Germans continued to improve the installation up until the very end of WW II, including the construction of a longer, concrete runway that left Allied forces questioning the intent of such a runway. The answer to the question became apparent at the end of the war when 165 German aircraft were captured, including six Arado jet aircraft.

The base has transitioned through several periods since the German occupation ended in May 1945, and it was home to many types of Danish and NATO fighter/bomber aircraft during the Cold War years.

One of the most famous stories told by Danish forces stationed at the base today is that of a special reconnaissance mission flown from the base in the early 1960's. Photos taken from reconnaissance aircraft were the first to reveal missiles aboard Soviet ships bound for Cuba.

After the Cold War ended, like many U.S. military installations, Air Base Karup went under a realignment that moved fixed wing assets to other locations, leaving the base in 1993 with no permanent fixed wing "jet" aircraft. The base is currently home to a pilot training school and several helicopter squadrons.

With the majority of the local citizenry retired from working at the base, having an increase of activity in the area is a welcomed sign. "It's nice to have fighter noise around here again," said Maj. Rasmussen, recently assigned as the commanding officer of the Royal Danish Air Force Search and Rescue Squadron.

"Denmark has been a great experience," said Sgt. John Isaksen, flight equipment technician/plane captain for the Hell's Angels of VMFA-321. A native of Hampstead, N.C., Isaksen said this was his first visit to Denmark, and the deployment was full of new scenery and new culture.

Keeping the aircraft in the air was a challenge for all the Marines in the squadron. This deployment has been a "very big accomplishment for all of the shops," said Sgt. Tim Adkins, power line crew chief for the Crusaders. "We worked like a well oiled machine."



The Marine Corps detachment supporting NATO exercise Clean Hunter 2004 gather for a group photo at Air Base Karup. The Marines recently deployed to Denmark in support of the two-week exercise 14-25 June.. Photo by: Master Sgt. Phil Mehringer

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn20...F?opendocument


Ellie